Track system for traction of a vehicle

Abstract

A track for a vehicle (e.g., an agricultural vehicle) is configured to enhance traction and/or floatation on a ground (e.g., of an agricultural field) while reducing pressure (i.e., applying substantially no or less pressure) on a selected region of the ground (e.g., a planting row of the agricultural field, such as to reduce soil compaction for promoting plant growth) and/or to improve roading (e.g., travel faster on a road).

1 - 85 . (canceled) 
     
     
         86 . A track for traction of a vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track being elastomeric to flex around the track-engaging assembly, the track comprising:
 a carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface for engaging a ground and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and   a plurality of traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface; wherein the track comprises a pressure-reducing zone configured to cause pressure on the ground beneath the pressure-reducing zone of the track to be lower than pressure on the ground beneath an adjacent portion of the track that is adjacent to the pressure-reducing zone of the track in a widthwise direction of the track.   
     
     
         87 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein the pressure-reducing zone of the track is configured to cause the pressure on the ground beneath the pressure-reducing zone of the track to be no more than half of the pressure on the ground beneath the adjacent portion of the track. 
     
     
         88 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein: the adjacent portion of the track comprises a first adjacent part of the track and a second adjacent part of the track; and the pressure-reducing zone of the track is disposed between the first adjacent part of the track and the second adjacent part of the track in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         89 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein the pressure-reducing zone of the track is a longitudinal pressure-reducing zone extending along a longitudinal direction of the track. 
     
     
         90 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein the pressure-reducing zone of the track is an area of the ground-engaging surface between respective ones of the traction projections that are spaced from one another in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         91 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein the pressure-reducing zone of the track comprises a recess of the ground-engaging outer surface and wherein a thickness of the carcass from the ground-engaging outer surface to the inner surface at the recess of the ground-engaging outer surface is no more than 90% of the thickness of the carcass away from the recess of the ground-engaging outer surface. 
     
     
         92 . The track of  claim 91 , wherein a dimension of the recess in the widthwise direction of the track corresponds to at least majority of a spacing of respective ones of the traction projections in the widthwise direction of the track and wherein the dimension of the recess in the widthwise direction of the track corresponds to the spacing of the respective ones of the traction projections in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         93 . The track of  claim 91 , wherein the recess recedes transversally to a thickness-wise direction of the track and comprises sidewalls that are opposite one another. 
     
     
         94 . The track of  claim 91 , wherein the recess is a channel extending along a longitudinal direction of the track and wherein the channel extends along the longitudinal direction of the track for at least a majority of a length of the track. 
     
     
         95 . The track of  claim 94 , wherein a first subset of the traction projections is arranged in a first longitudinal row and a second subset of the traction projections is arranged in a second longitudinal row that is spaced apart from the first longitudinal row in the widthwise direction of the track by the channel and wherein the carcass comprises: a base including the inner surface and part of the ground-engaging outer surface; a first outer member disposed between the base and the first subset of the traction projections arranged in the first longitudinal row and including part of the ground-engaging surface; a second outer member disposed between the base and the second subset of the traction projections arranged in the second longitudinal row and including part of the ground-engaging surface; and the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass are spaced apart in the widthwise direction of the track to form the channel therebetween. 
     
     
         96 . The track of  claim 95 , wherein: the base of the carcass comprises elastomeric material and a reinforcing layer; and each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass comprises elastomeric material and is free of any reinforcing layer, wherein: the reinforcing layer of the base of the carcass is a first reinforcing layer of the base of the carcass; and the base of the carcass comprises a second reinforcing layer spaced from the first reinforcing layer of the base of the carcass and wherein the reinforcing layer of the base of the carcass comprises at least one of a layer of reinforcing cables extending in a longitudinal direction of the track and a layer of reinforcing fabric. 
     
     
         97 . The track of  claim 96 , wherein elastomeric material of each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass is different from elastomeric material of the base of the carcass, wherein a modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material of each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass is different from a modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material of the base of the carcass, and wherein the modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material of each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material of the base of the carcass. 
     
     
         98 . The track of  claim 97 , wherein a hardness of the elastomeric material of each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass is different from a hardness of the elastomeric material of the base of the carcass and wherein the hardness of the elastomeric material of each of the first outer member and the second outer member of the carcass is greater than the hardness of the elastomeric material of the base of the carcass. 
     
     
         99 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein the track is free of at least one of stiffening bars embedded in the carcass, extending transversally to a longitudinal direction of the track, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the track and metallic cores embedded in the carcass, extending transversally to a longitudinal direction of the track, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the track. 
     
     
         100 . The track of  claim 86 , wherein elastomeric material of the carcass in the pressure-reducing zone of the track is more flexible than elastomeric material of the carcass in the adjacent portion of the track. 
     
     
         101 . A track for traction of a vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track being elastomeric to flex around the track-engaging assembly, the track comprising:
 a carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface for engaging a ground and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and   a plurality of traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface; wherein the ground-engaging outer surface comprises a recess to reduce pressure on the ground.   
     
     
         102 . The track of  claim 101 , wherein a first subset of the traction projections is arranged in a first longitudinal row and a second subset of the traction projections is arranged in a second longitudinal row that is spaced apart from the first longitudinal row in a widthwise direction of the track by the recess. 
     
     
         103 . The track of  claim 101 , wherein a dimension of the recess in a widthwise direction of the track corresponds to at least majority of a spacing of respective ones of the traction projections in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         104 . The track of  claim 101 , wherein a thickness of the carcass from the ground-engaging outer surface to the inner surface varies in a widthwise direction of the track to cause pressure on the ground beneath a thinner portion of the carcass to be lower than pressure on the ground beneath a thicker portion of the carcass that is adjacent to the thicker portion of the carcass in the widthwise direction of the track. 
     
     
         105 . A method of reducing soil compaction by an agricultural vehicle on an agricultural field, the method comprising: providing a track for traction of the agricultural vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track being elastomeric to flex around the track-engaging assembly, the track comprising:
 a carcass comprising a ground-engaging outer surface for engaging a ground and an inner surface opposite to the ground-engaging outer surface; and   a plurality of traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface; wherein the track comprises a pressure-reducing zone configured to cause pressure on the ground beneath the pressure-reducing zone of the track to be lower than pressure on the ground beneath an adjacent portion of the track that is adjacent to the pressure-reducing zone of the track in a widthwise direction of the track; and causing the agricultural vehicle to move on the agricultural field such that the pressure-reducing zone of the track overlies a planting row of the agricultural field.